Sometimes Time Stands Still
by Alice 'The Curious' Faye
Summary: She had a super power and a bad temper. It didn't work on him. See how Jasper finds love in a human who can stop and start time - Will she pause her life for an eternity with him? JasperxOC, EdwardxAlice, EmmettxRosalie. No Bella, sorry. First story, Reviews are appreciated.
1. Work On Those Reflexes

**Right. So. Random idea. I hope you like it. My first story.**

**I don't own Twilight, ect...  
**

**I'm gonna try to improve the length of my chapters, but tell me if it's too short!**

**Enjoy!**

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**Summary; **She had a super power and a bad temper. It didn't work on him. See how Jasper finds love in a human who can stop and start time.

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He knew that she was his mate from the moment he saw her in the school cafeteria, on his very first day. Well, he _had _been to that school before, several times in fact, but it was the first day that it actually meant anything.

She had choppy hair that reached her shoulders, which was cut in odd places and was what Alice would call a fashion disaster. But it worked. It was dyed blonde (her brown roots showed at the top quite obviously) and was almost as pale as her skin. A perfectly diagonal fringe hung across her forehead, the longest side finishing just above her left eyebrow. It looked... Different. It was pulled back off her face in an almost 40s fashion by a navy bandanna the same colour as her large eyes.

Thick round glasses rested on her nose as she looked over the top of them around the white-waled cafeteria. Her eyes were amplified by thick black eyeliner, her plump limps exaggerated by red lipstick. She wore no foundation or blush - the paleness suited her. She had several piercings. In her nose, cheeks and all down her ears. A bag hung loosely from her shoulder, with a picture from a black-and-white Vampire film, saying "Dracula; The Damned And The Beautiful". Two drum sticks poked through the top of the bag, worn and chipped from avid use. Black jeans hugged her short but thin legs, a blue Oasis shirt tightly showed off her slender but curvy torso, and navy Doc Martins clunked across the floor as she walked to the food line.

She had noticed the Cullens - _Everyone _had - and wasn't particularly bothered by their sudden appearance. They were all in couples, besides from a fairly lonely looking blonde boy, and seemed quite happy to stick to their own bubble. Not that a girl like Jessica Stanley would understand such a thing.

"Hey," Jessica said nasally, walking up the table the new family had adopted. "I'm Jessica. But you should already know that already."

The blonde girl passed Jessica as she said this, an apple in her hand from the school kitchens (anything actually made there would give you food poisoning, so she stuck to fruit), and snorted loudly at the curly-haired girl's remark. Jessica's heard snapped toward her, glaring.

"Did you just snort at me, Harri?"

The blonde girl straightened back and turned towards Jessica, using her right hand to adjust her glasses. "Harriet." She corrected, a little bitter. "And yes, I did. You sounded ridiculous."

"Not as ridiculous as you look in that shirt."

Harriet rolled her eyes. "Brilliant comeback." She said, shaking her head as she started to walk away. As she turned, one of her drum sticks slid from her bag and clattered to the ground. Jasper could feel her irritation as she leaned to pick it up. Jessica beat her to it and childishly held it above her head. Jessica may have been small, but Harriet was a little smaller. She'd have to jump to reach it, and didn't fancy the humiliation.

"You are so fucking childish, Jessica." Harriet said, lifting her chin as she glared. "Hand it over."

Jessica ignored her, starting to speak in her annoying voice. "You don't even need this. We all know you're shit on the drums anyway. You might as well give me the other one and let me burn them."

Harriet's fists clenched by her side.

"At least I have a hobby other than fucking boys in the school toilets."

"At least I'm not a virgin."

Harriet looked at her incredulously. "In what way is that an insult."

"Because _no one wants you._" That seemed to really, genuinely hurt her. She flinched as if someone had moved to hit her, and she swallowed hard. Waves of anger and pain smothered Jasper, and he struggled to contain it as he watched. His body ached to stand up and take her into his arms. No one should feel that pain. Certainly not her. The apple she had been holding fell to ground with a thud, completely forgotten.

Suddenly the air felt almost electric. Her eyes seemed to flash, and everyone in the room froze, as a pained gasp moved from her lips. Jasper looked around curiously, and noticed that a boy had dropped his can of Coke. It was mid-air, the fizzy liquid hovering as it spilt from it. Jasper glanced at the clock. And waited. The seconds didn't tic by. The time didn't move. He looked back at Harriet in shock. She was doubled over, hands on her knees, breathing hard. She looked up at Jessica, who was frozen with the drumstick in one hand, stretched up high.

Jasper watched as Harriet finally moved, plucking the can from the air as she walked back over to Jessica, dragging a chair behind her. She hadn't noticed the blonde Cullen.

She hopped up onto the chair and tugged the drumstick from Jess's hand, putting the coke in it's place, and tilted it downward so that the liquid would pour all over the poor girl.

Resuming her original position, time continued, and Coke splashed down onto Jessica's makeup caked face.

Jasper remained frozen, shocked at what he had seen. Jessica squealed and dropped the can, cursing loudly.

"You really ought to work on those reflexes, Jessica." Harriet said calmly, turning to walk away, twirling the stick in her hand.

"I'll get you for that, Harriet Hyde!" Jessica screeched, stamping down on the now empty Coke can.

"Whatever." Harriet called lazily, her anger depleted completely as she left the cafeteria.

Jasper sat for a moment, completely stunned.

"Did you see her move?" Alice asked, wide eyed. Rosalie shook her head.

"No. That can was just suddenly there."

"Do you think she's... Like us?" Emmett asked, hushed.

"Well she isn't a Vampire," Edward reasoned, "But she certainly isn't normal. It's impossible for us to have missed her moving to take the stick if she's just a human."

Jasper suddenly jumped to his feet, heading off in the direction Harriet had. His family called after him, but he ignored them as he pushed open the door. Heading outside, he followed the girl's scent until he reached the small seating area outside - it was deserted apart from her, and all of the wooden seats were damp from rain. Beside that, she had perched herself onto one of the tables, oblivious to Jasper's silent arrival.

He had to confront her straight away. This wasn't something he could ignore.

"I.. I saw what you did in there."

Harriet's gaze snapped to him, and she climbed down from the table gracefully. She stepped closer to him, laughing lightly.

"Oh, you're Jasper Hale, right? She had that coming. It's not a big deal."

"No... Not with the can." He was watching her carefully, his eyes taking in every detail of her face. She was beautiful. To him, she surpassed Rosalie's looks easily.

Her expression turned confused, and he could feel her wariness.

"I saw what you _did._"

"Wait, what do y-?"

"I saw you stop time."

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**So I dived straight into that, and let Jazzy confront her straight away. Assumed he wouldn't wait, because they would have to treat Harriet like a threat at first if she did have an ability, and Jasper knows that she does. There is no logical reason for him being able to move whilst time is paused. **

**I hope you liked this.**

**~The Curious. **


	2. Meddling

**Next Chapter;**

**Nothing really to say here. I clearly don't own Twilight. Thank God. **

**Please review, and enjoy!**

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Harriet stumbled back a little, leaning back on the table.

She didn't even think to deny it as she stared at the stranger in front of her.

"How did you..?" She fell short of words, her mouth dry. She was careless with her ability, _she knew that _, but whenever she got riled up, whenever she got angry, she couldn't control it. Those words that Jessica had said seriously struck a cord. They brought back awful memories.

"I don't know. But when you did what you did, I wasn't frozen along with the rest of them." Jasper gave a shrug as he spoke, shoving his hands into his pockets and forcing himself to stand still. He had suddenly felt a weird twang of misery go through her, and felt the need to comfort her. To hold her. But he knew that'd just creep her out, so he kept his distance.

She swallowed and licked her lips, watching him carefully. She took him in. His hair hung in soft curls, and his golden eyes seemed to pierce through her own. His body was lean but muscular, maybe like a runner, and he stood quite tall. His arms were hidden by a long sleeved black shirt, but we're obviously toned. The same could be said for his legs, which were hiding behind dark denim jeans. He seemed to have cowboy-ish boots on under the jeans, which made her smile. She briefly wondered if she had heard a slight southern accent in his voice.

Noticing that she wasn't going to say anything in response, Jasper spoke up again.

"Maybe you could do it again," He proposed steadily, watching her. "I can show you that I can still move and watch you."

Harriet sighed and sat down on the table, looking up at him over the tops of her glasses. Her eyes were so bad that everything was blurred terribly by doing so, but it was out of habit from when she much younger.

"If you're bullshitting me, I will bury you." She threatened. Jasper resisted the urge to chuckle and nodded for her to continue.

Harriet's fists clenched again by her sides as she felt the air around her spark. It sent pain travelling down her spine, but she had learnt to not react. Moving during the Time Pause could cause serious injuries to her.

Jasper stiffened as the air sizzled around them, again feeling almost electrified. After a moment of watching Harriet sit rigid, he relaxed as she breathed out and wiggled her fingers.

"See?" He hadn't realized it before, but everything seemed to send weird now. Dragged out. Slowler. Almost like being underwater. He stepped forward slowly, walking until he was directly in front of her.

Harriet studied him. "So you're completely unaffected..."

"Seems that way darlin'.''

She stopped a grin from spreading across her face. He was definitely southern.

"I guess I have to stop randomly pausing time for days, then..." She joked, making him smile.

"Well at least I'll know who to look for when everything around me stops." Jasper said, trying to sound menacing.

"Oh yeah, you'll be forced to hang out with me!" Harriet said, laughing as she stood. Jasper stopped himself from taking a step backward. Her scent was intoxicating - a peculiar mixture of Lime and Bluebells - but he felt that if he did step away, she would loose any interest in him she had. He had seen the affect resisting your mate can have on people, and Jasper liked to think he knew better.

"I don't think I'd have to be forced..." He said quietly, looking down into her blue eyes.

They stayed like that for a minuet, staring at each other, her expression curious and his endearing, as he listened to her heartbeat.

"... Time is still paused." She said finally, cutting through the silence.

"So it is." He murmured, coming out of his daze. Her emotions showed nothing was wrong. He was glad he hadn't made her uncomfortable.

"Sometimes I think I could just stay like this forever." She said thoughtfully, moving her gave from him to a bird that was hovering in the air above her.

"Wouldn't you miss conversation?" Jasper asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Well, considering this is the longest conversation I've ever had with another student, I probably miss it too much." She looked back at him again as she spoke, smiling.

"I do hope I'm not boring you, then." He said, and she moved for the door leading inside.

She reached and grasped the door handle, looking at him over her shoulder. "I don't think you'll ever bore me, Jasper Hale. You're much too interesting." Harriet paused for a moment, and suddenly the air was much less wired. Above, the bird continued it's flight, and sounds from the cafeteria filled his ears. "You better get to class. The bell should be going in any minuet."

The bell went as she pulled open the door, and with that she was gone.

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Jasper jogged up to Harriet as she left her English classroom, a grin in place. He had discussed the... recent events with his family. He had explained about her pausing time, and described what he felt when he first laid eyes on her. All of his family told him that that was the same thing they had felt when stumbling across each other; Alice and Edward, Rosalie and Emmett. They encouraged him, but were wary about the possibilities.

"Managed to get through the day without meddling with the time continuum, then?" He joked, coming up behind her.

She jumped and turned to look at him, laughing. "Jesus, you nearly gave me a heart attack! And shut up, I don't _meddle _that much."

"And yet, I know that's a lie." She playfully hit his shoulder, and he winced when she cursed under breath.

"Jesus, are you made of steel or something?"

"No, I just work out a lot." Jasper lied quickly, moving to open his locker as they reached it. She leant on the one next to it, flicking her hair over her shoulder. He glanced at her briefly, making sure to burn that lovely image into his memory. "So, you doing much tonight?" Jasper tried to ask casually.

"Probably not. Got some homework to do, but I'm a massive procrastinator and will probably do it in homeroom." She paused, narrowing her eyes. "Why?"

"Well I'm curious about your," He quietened his voice, "Ability. And wondered if you wanted to hang out and talk about it?'

Harriet looked sceptical for a moment, but eventually shrugged and nodded. "Sure. But I don't drive, so if you wanna hang out at my house we'll have to walk."

"Not a problem." Jasper grinned at her quickly, before slamming his locker closed. They walked side-by-side down the corridor. "Don't you need to stop at your locker?" He asked as they reached the doors. A few students stared at them curiously.

"Nah, I get all of my stuff in between the last two periods. Then I can get out of here quicker."

He noticed his siblings openly gawking at the two of them as they left the building. While she wasn't looking, he pointed at her with a huge grin on his face and shook his fists in a mime of victory. Emmett began laughing and Edward rolled his eyes, whilst the girls quickly lost interest and started focussing on something else.

Jasper heard his more serious brothers voice just as he left the school gates, and swallowed hard.

_"Be careful, you know what could happen."_

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**__****Not sure if I should move them into a relationship quickly or not.. Hmmm...**

**Doth thee haveth the time to spare a review? **

**- The Curious. **


	3. Cold Hands

**Next Chapter;**

**Enjoying writing this. I'm not a big Twilight fan, so doing this kinda thing is a lot of fun. A different story but in the same place. Well, that's kinda that point of Fan fiction and now I'm rambling...**

**Enjoy! **

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Harriet's house was, to say the least, grey.

It was very grey on the outside. Even the dying flowers in a pot beside the door. The curtains were grey, the brick work, even the roof. The only bit of colour Jasper could see was on the door - a little bit of chipped red paint was splashed across it. Revealing grey wood.

Damn, that's a lot of grey.

"Welcome to the brilliant Hyde house." Harriet said dryly, pulling keys from her bag and jamming them into the lock. Jasper studied the Dracula bag for a moment. She liked vampires, then. Maybe he was in luck with this girl. Maybe she wouldn't run away.

She gave the door a heavy kick and it swung open. The inside wasn't much better, but it was certainly lived in. Books and pictures were everywhere in the hallway, along with a series of novelty clocks that hung the wall. They wouldn't have been so annoying if they didn't tic at different times, creating a tediously maddening melody of clockwork.

Jasper got a quick glance at the kitchen as Harriet led him up the stairs - it was cluttered with pans and plates that were in large and unstable towers. He moved his gaze away and ignored the state of the crowded upstairs hall. Harriet's embarrassment filled the small face and Jasper sent a few dosages of calm towards her. She didn't have to be embarrassed about anything around him.

Her room was certainly tidier - but still eccentric. You couldn't see the walls - they were lined by book cases. They even arched across the bed, all of the shelves filled with novels and the occasional photo frame. She had a small chest of draws at the foot of her bed, which is where Jasper assumed she kept her clothes. Alice would not approve of such little closet space. There were a couple of mismatched arm chairs in the corner, and an array of pillows pilled up on the bed. In general, the theme was blue. She had blue bed sheets, a blue carpet and random blue ornaments about the room.

Harriet walked in and elegantly perched herself on her bed, legs crossed beneath her. Jasper wandered for a minuet, spotting philosophical books that he didn't think anyone but he had read in the small town. He was definitely impressed.

He turned around to face her when he heard the rattling of a chain. She had pulled a necklace from around her neck - that had originally been hidden under her shirt - and fiddled with it for a moment. Walking over, Jasper realized it was a pocket watch that had been turned into a pendant.

"This is the only clock that continues when I pause time." Harriet told him, twirling the watch around her fingers skillfully.

"How does it work?" He asked curiously, sitting down next to her, legs stretched out. He moved a curl of hair out of his eyes as he looked at her.

"I haven't a clue. It was my Grandfather's, before he died he had it turned into a necklace for me. He could pause time, too." She tilted her head to look at Jasper, smiling.

"You were close." He assumed, leaning in, drawn in by her scent.

"Yeah. He looked after me a lot when I was younger. My dad left and my mum had to work to support us." The same pang of misery Jasper had felt earlier shuddered through her, and Jasper placed his hand on hers. The contact excited and calmed the both of them.

"Your hands are so cold." She noted, entwining her fingers with his. He was surprised she'd responded like that, actually holding his hand. They didn't even know each other.

"Yeah, I guess it was colder outside than I thought."

"I guess..."

Jasper quickly changed the topic, but made no movement to release her hand.

"So your Grandfather. He could do that too?"

She nodded, her tongue darting out to lick her licks quickly. He had noticed her doing that a lot.

"The first time I did it was when my dad left. I was furious at him, but so sad for my mother. It was really painful when everything stopped. Well, it still hurts when I do it now, but I guess I've gotten used to it. It took me two days to figure out how to get back to normal." She laughed, shaking her head.

"Two days?"

"Yup. I was twelve. You should've seen the sort of shit I got up to!" The both of them laughed, falling back on the bed. Harriet inclined her head to look at him, stretching out her legs. He looked back at her, smiling slightly.

Their hands remained entangled.

"I rushed to tell him," she continued, looking back at the ceiling. "After I'd restarted time. I don't know why I told him, probably because he was always there for me. He said that when he was younger, he could do it too. He died two years later. Those two years were filled with him giving me advice."

There was no sadness when she spoke of her Grandfather, just joyful remembrance. Jasper truly admired the way she did that. Most humans thought of all the bad things when a loved one dies, and become sad whenever they are mentioned. The wistful smile on Harriet's face was enough to prove that she was different to the crowds.

"You wanna know something really cool?" Harriet suddenly asked. Jasper nodded, eyebrows slightly raised.

"As long as I keep on using my power - I don't age. I had to stop using it for a few years, but now that I'm seventeen I can stay like this forever."

"But - your Grandfather?" Jasper cocked his head to the side.

"He stopped using it at age 30 - at which point he looked about 19 - and let himself grow old. He did it to be with my grandmother."

If she could live forever like that, Jasper would never have to change her. He would have an eternity to woo her, and then the rest of their endless lives to love her. He got excited just thinking about it, and grinned.

"Do you think you could give something up like that, for someone you love?" Harriet asked him, looking into his eyes.

He answered without missing a beat. "Of course. Would you?"

She studied him for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah. I think I would."

Jasper stole a glance at the small clock on her bedside table, and cursed. He had promised Emmett an XBOX 360 rematch, and he knew how long that could last.

"I should get going. Have to get back for dinner and stuff." He lied smoothly, and Harriet got up with him. They made it down stairs past the quirky stuff in the halls, hands still joined. "Sorry for having such cold hands." He joked, referring to the remark she made earlier. He moved to pull away.

However, Harriet had different ideas. "Do you know what my mum always says?" She pressed Jasper's hand to her cheek, and he watched as she visibly shivered, but leaned into his palm all the same. It amazed him. "The person with the coldest hands, has the warmest heart."

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**Kinda boring, but I wanted to get some of her background out of the way. Her and her mother live in a very chaotic state, as is obvious.**

**She also likes to read. **

**Review! **

**~ The Curious.**


	4. Minx

**Next Chapter;**

**I've got quite a few followers on this story. My ego is massive thanks to you guys. The reviews are helping, too xD**

**Plleeeeassseee Review!**

**Don't own anything, phew. That'd be a lot of responsibility. **

**Enjoy!**

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Jasper had left the house feeling pretty damn pleased with himself. His throat was burning and made breathing unbearable, but it was worth it. Judging by Harriet's emotions, he was sure she was kind of confused by how she acted towards him. Jasper reasoned that it was probably the link between mates - it kind of made resisting each other near impossible. Not that he minded. At all.

He hunted quickly before he headed home, quickly finishing off a couple of small elks and burying them. He felt slightly like a dog hiding a bone. He conversed a little with the family before Emmett launched into an all-night gaming session with him. Jasper had to let the poor guy win, otherwise he sulked for days.

Jasper was itching for Harriet's company by the morning, which resulted in Edward mocking him jokingly. He couldn't help it if she was all he thought about.

Once they finally arrived at school - Alice had told Jasper to take his motorbike instead of driving with them, and didn't specify why - Jasper leant against his bike, bored and impatient for Harriet to arrive. As soon as her scent infiltrated the area, he looked up from the rock he had been studying to pass the time.

He watched as she moved across the parking lot, hips swaying seductively. She had on a skirt today, light and black, which reached just above her knees. Again, she wore a band T-shirt. This time it was a Green Day one, tightly fitted to her body with a list of tour dates on the back. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, her fringe perfectly straight. On her feet, she had black Doc. Martins. Black studs and rings decorated her ears, cheeks and nose, the same heavy dose of eyeliner around her cat-like eyes.

She looked over her glasses around the lot, eventually finding Jasper. A smirk slowly crept across his face. She didn't realize how much of a minx she was.

"You look lovely." He commented as she approached. His siblings had parked two cars down, and he knew they were eavesdropping.

"So does your bike." She retorted, staring the bike in awe. "Sheesh, is that a custom paint job? Looks top end - holy shit, look at those wheels!" Jasper laughed at her she continued to flurry about the bike, making comments on everything.

"Maybe we can take it for a spin after school." He proposed, and she got a wicked glint in her eye.

"Can I drive?" Harriet moved towards him slyly, one hand running across the leather seat gently.

Jasper looked down at her, grinning. She really was quite cute.

"Maybe in a million years."

"_I'll_ still be alive then. You won't." She made a grab for the keys, and Jasper moved them up higher, now holding them above his head.

"Maybe I will be, too." He said cryptically.

"Are you hiding something from me, Hale?" Harriet stepped closer to him, and her scent washed over him. His mouth swelled with venom, and he swallowed it down before talking.

"I might be. Guess will never know." He turned and made his way toward the building, shrugging out of his leather jacket to reveal a white button up. "Now let's get to class."

She continued to ask and pester him about his words, even in the doorway of her first class. He had left her with a few jokes and a smirk, before he allowed her to think for herself.

By lunch however, Harriet's human mind had been distracted by something else entirely. She repeated her actions like she did every day, wait in line, grab an apple, leave and eat outside.

Well, almost. As she reached the doors, Jasper got in her way, opening the door for her and leading her out.

"Don't you have other people to talk to?" She joked, as they slipped onto the wooden seats. They were damp from the rain - as always - so the two had laid down their coats before sitting.

"I'm keeping an eye on you. Don't want you running off with my bike."

"But we'd be so happy together!" She whined, tone filled with humor.

Jasper laughed at her, leaning forward and resting his arms on the table between them. Between quiet giggles, Harriet did the same.

They went silent for a moment, just grinning, before Jasper spoke up.

"So, what sort of things do you get up to when you pause time?" He asked, tilting his head to the right.

"Lots of stuff. Pranks, like I did with Jessica, or sometimes I just walk about. I went to New York once, and paused everything there." Her eyes became bright and excited, and Jasper admired her subtly. "That city is amazing, the way that I can just capture it all like that, and walk around as part of the story. Some things I see I try to forget. But it just adds to the experience, I suppose."

"It must be cool. Being able to pause people's lives like that." He responded.

"Yeah. It gets me out of some horrible situations, too. If I'm in a fight or in trouble, I can just pause time and get away."

Jasper asked his next question carefully, watching Harriet's response. "What about... If you die. Like, whilst time is paused. Does the world just... stop?" She shook her head.

"No. It carries on, and my... Ability, is passed on to someone else. When my Grandfather stopped using it, it was carried through his genes, skipped my mother and for some reason, sparked in me. he hadn't have stopped using his power, I may not've been able to do it today."

"So it's quite complicated, then?" Jasper smirked, and she laughed.

"Hell yeah." Their conversation moved to a more normal topic, moving from books and films to music.

By the time the bell went and the two had separate classrooms, they missed each others company.

* * *

**So, this one is shorter than the others, sorry guys. I just want to build up their relationship, because that'll make drama much more interesting. **

**I wonder if Jessica has something up her sleeve...**

**Review! **

**- The Curious**


	5. Mad

**Next Chapter;**

**I'm sorry I haven't updated, been dealing with some stuff and toying with other story ideas. I haven't forgotten about you all though!**

**I don't own a thing, **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Harriet hadn't completely forgotten Jasper's comment about living forever. It swirled in her mind as she lay on her bed, a forgotten book on her chest. It was dark out, a few stars dwindled in the sky. She could see the twisted shadow of the tree outside her window, and turned her head away. When she was little, that shadow gave her nightmares.

What had he meant? She racked her brain, sitting up and swatting the book to the side. It fell closed, the words "Dracula; The Undead" scrawled across the front. Her eyes lingered on the title for a moment.

_Pale, good-looking, cold..._

"Oh don't be stupid, Harri. Vampires. As if." She scolded herself, but still kicked the book off of her bed forcefully.

She got up, walking idly around the room, trailing one finger across the thousands of book spines that lined the shelves. Harriet closed her eyes and randomly gripped a book.

Opening them, she growled and threw it across the room.

The worn copy of the first Vampire Diaries book hit the ground with a softened thud.

"I'm going mad. That's it. I'm definitely going mad." She collapsed back on to her bed, face down. "It was inevitable, really. A little bit of attention from one hot boy and my mind gives up on me." She spoke into her pillow, eyes closed tightly. "As soon as a little bit of affection comes my way, my mind jumps to a horrible conclusion and I lose it entirely."

She paused for a moment, lifted her head and then slammed it back down onto the pillow.

"And now I'm fucking talking to myself. Marvelous."

* * *

The next day she met Jasper outside the school gates. His eyes scanned over her, as usual, a smirk in place.

He really is very pale, she thought to herself, and those eyes aren't too normal...

"Oh shut up." She scolded under her breath, earning a confused look from Jasper.

"What?"

"Nothing." Harriet answered hurriedly. "I'm just going mad, is all." Her pace picked up as she walked toward the school. He kept up with lazy, long strides.

"That doesn't sound too bad, maybe we could go together?" He replied smoothly.

Harriet laughed, relaxing a little. Something about him made her calm.

"Alright Jazz-man, lay off the charms."

He feigned confusion, one hand now on his chest as if he was having a heart attack. "Why, whatever do you mean?"

Harriet rolled her eyes and gave his shoulder a punch. Rock hard skin. _Shut up._

"You know what I mean. I'll see you later, I've gotta head to my Maths class to pick something up." She turned and started to walk away, hearing him say goodbye behind her. He sounded a little sad, but she quickly shoved that thought away with a shake of her head.

She know she felt something towards him. But he was keeping a secret from her, and no way could she possibly accept or assume that he saw her in anything other than a friendly light.

And ever since her father left, love just wasn't worth it to girls of the Hyde House.

* * *

Jasper walked to the cafeteria slowly, listening to the gossip around him as he walked.

"So that Jasper kid has been hanging around with Harriet. 'Parently they're dating." A slight smirk pulled at his lips. He liked to think that him and Harriet would be dating at some point in the future. Hopefully soon.

"Are you going to the dance?" A girl chimed beside him, talking to a shy boy.

"Did you read the next chapter?" Said a quiet boy to his friends.

Jasper loved listening to the petty discussions of the teenagers at Forks High. They had no idea what life was really like. They walked around in a tight little bubble, cushioned from the real word by the border around the town. He wanted to take Harriet away from all that. Show her life. Even if he was dead.

"Where's Jessica and Lauren?" Angela chirped to Eric as Jasper passed them.

"Principal's office. Something to do with getting back at Harriet." Jasper came to halt, and tilted his head back.

"Jessica is my friend and all, but knowing her she's done something horrible. She kinda deserved what Harri did to her."

Jasper turned and opened his mouth to talk, but shut it abruptly when his phone began to quietly ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and stepped backward, seeing Carlisle's name on the caller ID was a rarity.

He liftedA the phone to his ear, pushing open the side door that lead outside.

"I'm looking at a particularly bruised Harriet Hyde." Carlisle informed his 'son', no need for greetings.

"What happened?"

"Broken nose, two black eyes and a sore jaw. She asked if I could get a hold of you - apparently you're her only friend and her mother is at work." Carlisle explained. "Want to talk to her?"

"Of course!" Jasper replied, somewhat honored that she had asked for him. He heard his 'father's' chuckle as the phone was passed to another person, before Harriet's sweet voice flowed through it.

"Hey Jazz-Man."

"Are you alright?" He asked, concerned.

"No, Jessica broke my bloody nose."

"I heard. Want me to come to the hospital?"

"You've got class."

"That's not a no."

"... It's not a yes, either."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I'm on my way."

She went quiet for a moment, before she whispered through the speaker. "Thanks Jasper." A hung up quickly.

* * *

"And how, exactly, did Jessica do this?" Jasper asked, arms crossed, looking down at Harriet as she swung her legs in the air, perched on the hospital bed.

"She punched me. Twice. And damn, for such a girl she punches like a fucking man." She grumbled, looking down.

Without thinking, Jasper lifted his finger and traced the bruising that was forming under her left eye.

"You're so bloody cold." She added in the same tone, looking up at him. Sadness washed over him and he pulled his hand away. She didn't want him touch her like she had before.

"Sorry." He said lamely, shoving his hand in his pocket.

Harriet sighed heavily.

"No, I am. I'm just feeling extra bitchy because Jessica damaged my face."

"Don't worry, it's still beautiful." Jasper said, sitting down next to her. She wrapped an arm around his and lent her face against his shoulder, careful not to hit the bruises.

"I'm so going to destroy her for this." She noted, earning her a chuckle from Jasper. "Don't move." She ordered, closing her eyes. "You're comfortable."

Jasper's eyebrows shot up. Had she really just said he was _comfortable?_ Vampires aren't comfortable. Certainly not for humans to huddle up to, anyway.

He tilted his head and rested it on hers, feeling a foreign emotion flow through Harriet as he did so. He couldn't quite describe it, but it made him excited.

It was like a blend of curiosity, overwhelming frustration, sheer joy and...

_Love._

* * *

**I am kinda stuck. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. **

**I will update faster, I give my word.**

**Like, hate?**

**Review!**

**- The Curious**


	6. Don't Let It Be True

**Next Chapter;**

**I got like, one review on the last chapter. I appreciate it, but it's not very motivational to just get one xD**

**I do not own Twilight, as evident by my poorness.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day, Jasper couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at Harriet's attire. Sure, she dressed different. But _this..._

"You've gone Goth on me." He said, narrowly dodging Harriet's fist. He didn't want to hurt her by letting her hand hit his hard skin.

"Shut. Up. It's the only outfit I have that goes well with _two black eyes_." She snapped. Her hair was straight, hanging in a tamed style down to her shoulders. Her lips were painted a dark purple, and she'd made no attempt at putting eyeliner on, just a little bit of concealer around the large bruises. Her glasses were, as usual, on the very end of her nose. She wore a black skirt that just passed her knees, and heavy looking army boots that were covered with metal-plated straps. Her shirt was tight-fitting and consisted of several black and white stripes. Instead of her usual Dracula bag, however, she had a large canvas bad that read; "Read The Book, It's Better".

"I didn't say I didn't like it." He reasoned, and she fell into step beside him and just like the morning before, they made their way towards the school building.

Ignoring his comment, Harriet looked around the lot that was filled with students and their cars. Due to the fact that she had to walk everywhere, she was often late and pretty much everyone made it there before her. "Is Jessica here yet?"

Jasper tried to discreetly sniff the air, catching Jessica's scent easily. He didn't notice Harriet's confused look as she watched him, and pointed in her direction. "Over there."

"... Alright-y then." She said, and took off toward the crowd of teens. Jasper stopped, watching her walk with curiosity. _What are you up to?_

"What are _you _doing here?" Jessica sneered, pushing past Mike Newton to stand directly in front of Harriet.

"Warning you." Harriet said simply, before she stepped right up to the curly-haired girl. Their faces now mere inches apart, Harriet whispered so quietly Jasper almost didn't catch it from where he stood across the lot. "You caught me off guard last time, Stanley. It won't happen again. So watch your pretty little back, before I kick you all the way back to the Accessory-And-Shoe hellpit you came from."

"You better watch yourself too, panda-eyes. This. Is. War." The two girls gave an annoyed noise, before turning on their heels and storming off, seething.

"I'm going to kill her." Harriet snapped as she reached Jasper once again.

"I'm not breaking you out of jail for that." Jasper replied, and they resumed their walk.

"I'll cut her up into such tiny pieces that even experts won't be able to decipher if it's her or a fucking pig." She spat. "I'm so _stupid. _If I'd have stopped time and got away, she wouldn't have humiliated me like this."

"And what would she say if you just suddenly disappeared?" Jasper asked, raising one eyebrow. He knew how to keep a secret, and doing stuff like that wouldn't end well.

"... Since when were you so wise?" She grumbled.

"I've had a lot of time to think about things, is all." He muttered, moving quickly to open the door for her when they finally reached the school. He hoped she hadn't heard, but of course she had. It was Harriet.

"There's something not normal about you Jasper." She said quietly. "You'd tell me if you were keeping a secret, wouldn't you? I mean, you know enough information about me to get me locked up in a lab somewhere."

He gave a sigh, rubbing his chin with one hand. "If I was keeping a secret, Harriet, I'd tell you eventually. You'd just have to trust me."

"If?"

"If." Jasper nodded, and then leaned closer to her. He tried his hardest to ignore her scent, he knew his eyes were darkening considerably. Luckily, Alice had foresaw that the rest of the week would be sunny, and he could hunt. "Just trust me. And be patient for once, Harri." Without thinking, he bent down and kissed her cheek, before disappearing into the crowd of students inside.

Harriet stood still for moment, a lot of her classmates pushing passed her as she stared at the spot where Jasper had gone.

_He's definitely hiding something. _She thought, biting down on her lip. _He's so not getting away with it, either. _

* * *

Harriet pulled several heavy books from her bookshelf, throwing them onto the bed with a breath of relief. A large pile was now taking up almost all of the space, books of all kinds scattered around. Witchiology, Dragonology, Vampire books and even old legend books she'd scavenged. It had gotten to the point where she was so curious it wasn't even funny.

She sat down on the bed, searching through the books, looking for a place to start.

"Right. Paleness, good looking, absolutely freezing, possible immortality or living forever. That's what I've got to work with." She muttered. Instantly her eyes found the collection of Vampiric novels. Harriet didn't want that to be true. She didn't want to see Jasper or any of his family as a blood-sucking creature of the night. It wasn't right. He was too nice... Too friendly... Too perfect.

Instead of following her senses, she delve into the books about witchcraft and charms, ignoring the obvious facts. She wouldn't let the most likely thing be true.

Her fear crept up on her as she read, finding nothing about the strange Cullens that could fit anything but monstrous legend. Sighing, she made her way out of her room.

"Mum?!" She called, gripping the banister and leaning over it.

"What is it, Harri?" Her mother called up, her voice ringing from the kitchen. Harriet vaulted down the stairs quickly, barely keeping her balance.

"Can I borrow the laptop?" She asked as she reached the chaotic room. Her mother, Kelly, was sat at the table. Reading glasses on her nose, reports from work scattered in front of her. Her hair was mouse-brown and wild, much like Harriet's naturally, her eyes a light blue and wide. Her outfit was a simple suit, clearly work clothes. Usually, her mother wore something much more quirky and colourful. Her mother's head bobbed slightly, to the beat of a pop song coming from the retro-looking radio in the corner of the room. _"If I can't dance, if I can't dance, oh baby, if I can't dance, If I can't dance. If I can't dance then I don't want any part of your revolution," _It sung.

"I suppose. Why? Homework?" Kelly asked, although her tone held no interest. She was too focussed on her work. She wasn't always like that, although it seemed that way to Harriet. She barely had a conversation with her mother that lasted longer than five minuets and didn't include mumbles for answers. They used to be as close as friends, until her father left.

"Mmhmmm..." Harriet replied, reaching past the pile of papers to grab her mothers laptop. She opened as she left the room, tapping the 'On' button with one finger. Making her way back up stairs, she kicked a mass of books from her bed and lay down with the computer.

She hesitated for a moment, fingers hovering above the keys. "What on _Earth _does one search when they want to figure out if their best friend is a monster?" Harriet asked herself quietly.

She settled with typing in the characteristics, adding "In fiction" at the end to see what kind of novels and creatures came up in the results. She almost snorted when she saw that she owned almost all of the books shown.

It took her at least two hours, filled with tedious scrolling, to find anything of use. Finally, she selected a website called " ". It was a pretty fancy looking webpage, with 'Are They Amoung Us' in large letters at the top. The whole thing was filled with cults and conspiracy theories, stupid alien sightings and facts about the Salem Witchtrials.

She was just about to slam the laptop shut when something caught her eye.

_"The cold one. Cold skin. Bright eyes, most likely red. They are monsters, they..._" She clicked on the rest of the article, and it came up in a separate window, larger print. Harriet pulled off her glasses leant forward, closer to the screen. "... _have inhuman beauty, which is used to hunt down and allure prey. They're senses are much sharper than the average person. It is reported that very few have been seen in sunlight, it's as if they avoid it with any means possible. They're very fast, and super strong. They can jump further than any other documented creature. They are a mainly nomadic species, although some settle, and travel in covens, much like a witch. They are not sustained by magic, however. Some have special abilities, e.g visions, superb tracking skill, extravagant mental and/or physical __shields."_

Growing bored quickly, and becoming very disbelieving, Harriet quickly scanned over the rest of the article, her brow furrowing in annoyance when she started to spot similarities between such "Cold Ones" and the Cullens.

Her breath caught in her throat as she read the last line, and slammed the laptop shut. In complete silence, she made her way down stairs, placed the laptop beside her mother's papers, and then dove into bed once she reached her room again. Turning off the light, she closed her eyes and shunned her imaginations.

The words swirled around violently in her head as she tried to sleep.

___"One thing that links these Cold Ones to common legend, however, is that they live off of human blood..."_

* * *

**I worked bloody hard on this one. All for you guys. It's a good job I love you.**

** Pllleeeasseee reivew? For me? **

**~The Curious**


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